Letters to the Editor Feb. 8, 2014

After reading Adam Spencer's article in the Feb. 1 Triplicate, "Solid waste views heard," concerning the solid waste issue, I decided to include my views on the matter.

First of all, I decided to read the article keeping an open mind and looking for reasons to privatize the Del Norte Solid Waste Agency. I can honestly say that I could not find one.

As it has been said many times before, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Carl Addington,

Crescent City

Kudos to drugstore banning tobacco sales

Our community should shout kudos to CVS, the second-largest drugstore chain in the nation, for its plan to ban selling tobacco products by Oct. 1.

The decision, apparently, was made, due to pressure made by both medical professionals and the public. This is the sensible type of activism we should all get behind. Using empirical evidence and personal experience, we can then make decisions based upon thoughtful deliberation; it is fully vetted, and with due diligence, everyone wins.

Kathryn Murray,

Crescent City

Did good old boys let Coulter Mann off easy?

For the last few years, I've been encouraging people of different races to get involved in politics (run for an elected position); volunteer to serve on the Grand Jury (all of the grand juries in Del Norte County over the last 10 years have been predominantly white); and to be sure to vote. That's the only way to even the playing field in this town.

Now we see that the sentencing portion of the Coulter Mann case is coming up ("Jurors convict on 1 of 2 charges," Feb. 1). This brings to mind a basic question.

If Coulter Mann (a white man) had been killed by an inebriated Native American after a night of drinking at an event, would the gross vehicular manslaughter charge have been dropped like it was in Mann's case back in August, 2013? Will the sentencing be equal in the eyes of the law?

In other words, are the good old boys at it again? Have they been tipping the scale because their buddy got caught doing a really bad thing, but not willing to have him pay the price by serving a sentence equal to the crime?

One question in my mind when drinking is involved: How could other people at the party know how much alcohol was in Coulter Mann? Were they also drinking? If they were, how could they swear in a court of law that he was or wasn't over the legal limit?

White, red, brown or black, I would expect someone in a position like Mr. Mann to be more responsible. The only way to avoid a tragedy like this is to make sure that if you drink alcohol, you don't drive. Period!